


Somebody to Love

by germana9



Category: Junjou Romantica
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-21
Updated: 2020-02-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:20:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22834690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/germana9/pseuds/germana9
Summary: In the same universe as Tiny Dancer, Takahashi Misaki is a slave in Usami Akihiko's house. Heartbroken from his loss of Takahiro to another woman, Usagi finds comfort in getting to know Misaki.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

Usagi lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling fan going ‘round and ‘round, thinking about what Isaka had said: “If you’re that sad, just bed a slave.”

Anyone would do, right? But Usagi didn’t want just anyone. He was in love with his best friend Takahiro.

Takahiro was all that Usagi was not: simple where Usagi was a complex of emotions and difficult past, kind and understanding where Usagi was impatient and judging. Not that Usagi was inherently bad. Oh, but Takahiro was inherently good. Usagi closed his eyes. Just bed a slave—

Usagi’s eyes flew open as he heard footsteps in his room. He looked across the bedroom to where a small young man with brown hair was walking toward his closet with a basket full of laundry.

“What are you doing?” Usagi asked, rather quietly. 

The man—a boy, really—acted like Usagi had shouted at him. He practically threw the basket and its contents over his head. Usagi’s dress shirts, which he presumed had been nicely folded, now lay in a disorderly pile on the floor.

Usagi propped himself up on his elbows and watched the boy take one look at Usagi’s brooding face before he dropped down on all fours. 

“U—Usami-sama!” he exclaimed, and he seemed as though he might burst into tears. “I’m sorry! I will refold these at once!” And then, still on the ground, he scrambled to gather Usagi’s clothes.

Usagi watched curiously. The slave was so flustered that he could hardly pick up the clothes, and Usagi’s heart broke a little for him in that moment.

“Stop,” he said. The boy froze, arm outreached. He was trembling a little.

Usagi softened his tone, wondering if maybe he had sounded too forceful. 

“Please,” he tried again. “Breathe. It’s all right. No harm done.” He sat all the way up in bed and held out his hands palm-up to indicate as much.

The slave glanced up at Usagi before slowly grasping the shirt he had been reaching for. 

“What’s your name, anyway?” Usagi asked.

“Misaki, Usami-sama.”

“Misaki. Why have I never seen you before, Misaki?”

“Because, um, you’re not usually here.”

That was right. Usagi usually went into work on Wednesday afternoons, but today he hadn’t been able to pull himself out of bed. His thoughts wandered back to Takahiro—the reason for his heartache.

“Are you all right, Usami-sama?”

Usagi looked up.

“Hmm?”

“It’s just, your eyes got all distant just then and you looked really...sad.”

Usagi gave him a small, melancholy smile.

“And I think I can usually hide my emotions so well. How is it that you, a boy I’ve just met, can see through me so clearly?”

Misaki’s cheeks pinked and he lowered his head.

“I’m sorry, Usami-sama. It wasn’t my place.”

“It’s all right,” Usagi assured him, lying back down. “And don’t call me Usami.”

Misaki’s eyes widened in alarm.

“What should I call you, sir?”

“Usagi. Everyone does.”

“All right...Usagi-sama.”

Usagi regarded the young man before him, who was watching him with a look of concern still on his face.

“Misaki, come here,” he said suddenly. 

Misaki froze for a fraction of a second, then slowly raised himself to his feet. He crossed the small distance between the two of them.

Usagi swallowed. What was he doing? He had always though that getting a slave to warm one’s bed was desperate and pathetic.

“Misaki,” he finally said. “I have a desire to get to know you better. Come back here tonight after your evening chores.”

Misaki stared at him, a look of surprise mingled with fear crossing his face.

“Um, hai.” He then quickly grabbed the laundry basket, bowed to Usagi, and all but fled the room. 

Usagi found himself smiling in spite of his heartbreak. The poor boy had been so dumbfounded and flustered that he had not stayed to actually put away Usagi’s clothes. He can do that tonight, at the very least, Usagi thought.


	2. Chapter 2

Misaki found Usagi’s bedroom door ajar later that night, and found Usagi lying in his bed. Still. Misaki knocked cautiously on the open door.

“Come in,” Usagi said, moving his gaze down from the ceiling to Misaki. 

“Um, Usagi-sama?” Misaki began.

Usagi raised his eyebrows. “Yes?”

“I don’t know if this is my place, but I’m worried about you. Have you been in bed all day? Are you sick?”

Usagi laughed and sat up. “No. I’ve left to eat, shower, and use the bathroom.” He could tell Misaki was not satisfied with that nonchalant explanation. “Not that it should concern you, but I’m fine.”

Misaki looked puzzled. “But you’re my master. Shouldn’t I be concerned about your well-being?”

Usagi was again touched by the young slave’s concern. “Well...sure, I suppose. But really, I’m fine.”

Misaki clearly didn’t believe him, but he thankfully left it at that. He looked at Usagi uncertainly.

“You’re probably wondering why I had you come here tonight,” he said. 

Misaki swallowed and nodded. 

Usagi paused. Now that he thought of it, he wasn’t quite sure why he had summoned him, either. He had a vague idea of what he wanted, but wasn’t exactly yet sure what he was actually going to do. What was he going to do? Seduce a slave? Didn’t that sound rather oxymoronic? Or just moronic, was more like it. Misaki, I want to make love to you. Was that it? More accurately: Misaki, I want someone to make love to me. But that clearly wasn’t going to happen. Misaki, looking more terrified as the seconds passed, was obviously an uke. There was no one in the world for Usagi.

“What do you do, exactly?” he finally blurted out in order to prevent himself from yet again falling into a pit of despair.

Misaki looked at him quizzically. 

“I mean, as a slave. You do my laundry, and what else?” He knew he sounded idiotic, but he was just buying time.

Misaki, mercifully, acted like it was perfectly normal for his master to be making small talk with him.

“Oh, you know, I help with the rest of the household’s laundry; I help prepare meals, do the dishes, typical household stuff.”

Usagi suddenly looked at him intently. 

“Has anyone ever...solicited other services from you?” He knew there was a possibility. His brother, Haruhiko; Isaka (a frequent visitor); God, even his own mother could have corrupted this one. 

Misaki’s eyes widened in surprise.

“No.”

“Good,” Usagi said decisively, although he wasn’t quite sure why he cared so much.

Silence enveloped them again.

“Usagi-sama?” Misaki finally said.

“Yes?” Usagi was surprised. In his experience, slaves generally knew to speak only when spoken to. But Misaki was acting different from the others. Usagi found he liked it.

“I know I shouldn’t say this, but I wish you would tell me what’s wrong! Your—your face—the look on your face makes me think something terrible has happened! But it’s not Usami-sama, is it? Or your mother? I know they’re fine, right?”

Usagi just stared at Misaki as he continued, ever more distraught. 

“So please, tell me what’s wrong! Maybe I can make it better—!”

Before either of them even knew what was really happening, Usagi had risen from his bed and crossed the room to Misaki. He wrapped his arms around him and kissed him on the mouth. He touched Misaki’s cheek and was surprised to feel tears there.

Misaki was so shocked at first that he stood still, unmoving, eyes wide open. When Usagi pulled away, he wiped the back of his hand across his mouth.

“Why did you do that?” he mumbled. 

“You were crying,” Usagi said, as if that explained it all. 

“Well, when I start crying, nothing can stop me!”

Usagi smiled. “You’ve stopped now.”

Misaki lowered his head. “I’ve been far too out of line,” he said.

“But I kissed you,” Usagi gently teased. Misaki didn’t respond. “Come here,” Usagi said.

Usagi took Misaki’s hand and led him over to the bed. Misaki looked from the bed to Usagi in alarm.

Usagi sat down and gestured for Misaki to do the same.

“You asked me what’s wrong.”

Misaki nodded.

Usagi sighed. “I’m in love with someone who doesn’t love me back,” he explained.

“But, how can that be? Does she know? Have you told her?”

Usagi laughed. “I could never tell him. He’s my best friend.”

Misaki swallowed. “Oh.”

“It would ruin our friendship. I know he would be disgusted.”

“Do you know that for sure?” Misaki ventured.

“It doesn’t matter anyway. He told me today. He’s getting married. I even met his fiancé.” 

Tears welled up in Misaki’s eyes again. “Oh, Usagi-sama, I’m so sorry!”

Usagi reached out and wiped away one of the tears that was beginning to fall. “Why do you care so much?” he asked. 

“I just...don’t like to see people hurting, is all.”

“Misaki,” Usagi whispered, and he reached out to hug him. 

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Misaki murmured.

“Just hold me a little while longer.”


	3. Chapter 3

“Can I ask you something, Usagi-sama?” Misaki said when Usagi finally released him.

“Hmm?”

“What’s this person like? Your best friend?”

Usagi thought for a moment, and Misaki wondered if he would answer the question or maybe even be offended. But then he said:

“He’s sort of like you, actually. Kind. Kind to a fault.” He smiled sadly. “We became close after his parents died ten years ago. It was hard on him, and he came to rely on me, but then it got better for him. We were and still are close, but he doesn’t need me that much anymore.”

“My parents died, too,” Misaki offered quietly. “When I was eight.”

“I’m sorry, Misaki. That must have been hard.”

Misaki nodded. “But I didn’t have anyone then. I was sold into the system and transferred from house to house. I’ve only been in your household for three years now.”

“I see,” Usagi said. 

Another pause.

“Usagi-sama?”

“Yes?”

“Your friend was very lucky to have had you.”

“And I’m sorry no one was there for you. But you’ve turned out all right.” He reached out and ruffled his hair. Misaki looked at him confusedly. 

“I can’t imagine many people who have gone through what you have being as kind as you are.”

Misaki blushed, but also smiled. 

This time, a comfortable silence filled the room.

The spell was broken when all of a sudden Misaki exclaimed: “Oh no!”

For once, Usagi’s cool and collected exterior gave way to alarm. “What? What’s wrong?”

“I forgot your clothes! I’m so sorry—!”

But Usagi just started laughing. “I wondered when you’d notice.” 

Misaki stared at him indignantly. “You—you don’t mind?” he asked.

Usagi ruffled Misaki’s hair. “Of course not.” He looked at him fondly. “You worry too much.”

Misaki frowned, and suddenly looked very sad. It was Usagi’s turn again to be concerned.

“What’s the matter?” he asked.

Misaki thought for a moment and then sighed. “I probably shouldn’t say.”

“Misaki,” Usagi said, not impatiently. “I think you should know by now that nothing you could say or do would bother me.”

“It’s just...my survival has sometimes depended on me worrying too much.”

“Oh,” Usagi said.

Misaki nodded. “Masters who don’t tolerate small mistakes, fellow slaves who don’t appreciate carelessness...”

Usagi didn’t know what to say. “I’m sorry you’re a slave” sounded inappropriate, so he kept his mouth shut.

“Usagi-sama?” Misaki began.

“Yes?”

“I probably shouldn’t say this—even though I know you said nothing I could say would bother you—but I guess what I’m trying to say is I really like talking to you!” he finally blurted out.

How odd this relationship is becoming, Usagi thought. 

“I like talking to you, too, Misaki,” he said.


End file.
